NEW YORK, NY (BRAIN)—New York City bicycle retailer Spokesman Cycles is expanding to a fourth store that managers hopes to open by year’s end.
The 1,400-square-foot East Side location is three blocks from Central Park and situated on a highly trafficked bike path that crosses the bridge from Queens to Manhattan, said owner Carlos Ballorso, who has been in the bike business for 30 years. He opened his first store eight years ago.
Ballorso said repairs account for the greatest share of his business—about a third—with bike sales at about a quarter and accessories and clothing making up the rest.
The newest Spokesman will carry Cannondale and Jamis as its main bike lines, plus a player to be named later. “We’ll bring in another brand to balance it out and offer something a little more urban,” said Ballorso.
Spokesman caters to a large clientele of commuters as well as a distinctly Big Apple niche: “What I think we do the best is we have the bulk of the delivery market. Every single restaurant in the city delivers by bike because you can’t do it by car. So we do repairs really fast, really well. And I don’t think anybody in the city has as many accessories as we do.”
Those accessories include six brands of fenders, seven brands of lights and a full complement of locks, plus racks, baskets and rain gear. Some of Ballorso’s stores even sell insulated bags to keep delivery cyclists’ food warm.
—Toby Hill
thill@bicycleretailer.com
